If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

I saw some show once with an Indian wedding and they were rolling rice and something else I guess into a ball and eating it with their hands. It's their custom it's fine with me. We eat burgers and pizza with out hands. Once I knew this woman who grew up in Spain and she said she didn't eat any food with her hands.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

I vastly prefer eating Indian food, including very wet rice dishes, with my fingers. It's not messy. I wash my hands when finished.

It's the year 2013, and we're still learning to enjoy the sophisticated manners of our fellows. I suppose for some "ease" is the ultimate value.

Somali Ostrich

The worst thing...is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.--e.o. wilson

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

And toilets aren't common there, either. They squat over a hole in the floor. It's actually much healthier.

(I know this because my landlord is from New Delhi. He goes back to visit his family there every January. He won't go during the summer months. As he says, "It's just too damned hot!")

Sit-down toilets are common. Nice squatter style toilets are common. There are also shabby toilets that aren't much more than holes in the floor.

Somali Ostrich

The worst thing...is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.--e.o. wilson

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

^^Yes, Pat, there are still lots of very poor people in India.

Somali Ostrich

The worst thing...is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.--e.o. wilson

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by zoltanspawn

Sit-down toilets are common. Nice squatter style toilets are common. There are also shabby toilets that aren't much more than holes in the floor.

Just going by what my landlord has told me. He broke both of his ankles a few years ago and has had knee surgery as well. He can't squat anymore and uses a special seat that he places over the hole when he visits his family.

Thanks for the clarification.

God answers all prayers. Most of the time, though, the answer is 'No'.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

I'd probably be better eating food with my fingers than I am with utensils. I spill enough food when I eat when I'm using a fork. I still can't make chopsticks work properly either. That's always a hit and miss experience.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

My mom said that eating with your hands helps you the appreciate the food better. It makes the meal more delicious. She always eat with her hands. Sometimes when she is eating with her hands, I will ask her to feed me. Being fed by someone you love with their hands is indescribable. Really take the blues away from a bad day.

I don't really like to eat with my hands because my nails are manicured but when I do, I truly enjoy the meal. Feeling the warmth of the food is adds to the pleasure of eating. There's something magical about it that I like.

Engineering can be defined as finding simple solution without any added expense or waste to a problem. Maybe your roommate is on to something. If you are eating with your hands and you make a mess, you are not doing it right.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by Ram

My mom said that eating with your hands helps you the appreciate the food better. It makes the meal more delicious. She always eat with her hands. Sometimes when she is eating with her hands, I will ask her to feed me. Being fed by someone you love with their hands is indescribable. Really take the blues away from a bad day.

I don't really like to eat with my hands because my nails are manicured but when I do, I truly enjoy the meal. Feeling the warmth of the food is adds to the pleasure of eating. There's something magical about it that I like.

Engineering can be defined as finding simple solution without any added expense or waste to a problem. Maybe your roommate is on to something. If you are eating with your hands and you make a mess, you are not doing it right.

I was going to say something similar to your last sentence. I hear people complain about chopsticks are too hard to eat certain things with. That's lack of skill doing it the right way, not that chopsticks are bad to eat with. Everything solid, including non sticky rice, is possible to eat with someone who knows how to use chopsticks correctly.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by Ram

My mom said that eating with your hands helps you the appreciate the food better. It makes the meal more delicious. She always eat with her hands. Sometimes when she is eating with her hands, I will ask her to feed me. Being fed by someone you love with their hands is indescribable. Really take the blues away from a bad day.

I don't really like to eat with my hands because my nails are manicured but when I do, I truly enjoy the meal. Feeling the warmth of the food is adds to the pleasure of eating. There's something magical about it that I like.

Engineering can be defined as finding simple solution without any added expense or waste to a problem. Maybe your roommate is on to something. If you are eating with your hands and you make a mess, you are not doing it right.

mmmm i know how to eat using hands
because you know where i was born LOL. Using spoon is just easier and quicker.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Wow I can do whatever I want at home and keep my culture but when I go to work I try NOT to eat seafood, shrimps, fish and fish sauce. My Company can NOT tell me what and how to eat, either my Friends but to respect them I just DON"T do it.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Im Asian but I use Spoons or Chopsticks when I eat Rice and use my Fingers when I eat meat with bones. I try not to use my fingers too much while eating and make sure I wash my hands really well before and after eating. Depends what I eat and I will use the right one.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by Ram

My mom said that eating with your hands helps you the appreciate the food better. It makes the meal more delicious. She always eat with her hands. Sometimes when she is eating with her hands, I will ask her to feed me. Being fed by someone you love with their hands is indescribable. Really take the blues away from a bad day.

I don't really like to eat with my hands because my nails are manicured but when I do, I truly enjoy the meal. Feeling the warmth of the food is adds to the pleasure of eating. There's something magical about it that I like.

Engineering can be defined as finding simple solution without any added expense or waste to a problem. Maybe your roommate is on to something. If you are eating with your hands and you make a mess, you are not doing it right.

No he didn't make a mess. He use a big plate.
The fingers looks messy with rice and spices stuck on the fingers. I'm not complaining, just commenting.
He is a very nice guy, much nicer than some of the people on here.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

No offense, Telly, but you have tolerance issues...if he opts to eat with his hands, so what? It's not like he smears the oil or everything on his hands onto your clothes/furniture afterward. If he believes in eating kosher food, so what? He's not forcing it on you.

In Asian countries, it's actually pretty common to eat using hands instead of utensils, even for curry, salad, and other gravy cuisines, even the wealthy and educated ones (doctors, scientists, managers). But I don't know about the Koran saying something about eating with hands...most of my most devoted Muslim friends use spoons and forks.

I prefer using utensils, because here, toilets are often broken, dirty, or located far away, and tissue paper is often not available.

come now, my child. if we were planning to harm you, do you think
we'd be lurking here beside the path in the darkest part of the forest?

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by freefall

No offense, Telly, but you have tolerance issues...if he opts to eat with his hands, so what? It's not like he smears the oil or everything on his hands onto your clothes/furniture afterward. If he believes in eating kosher food, so what? He's not forcing it on you.

In Asian countries, it's actually pretty common to eat using hands instead of utensils, even for curry, salad, and other gravy cuisines, even the wealthy and educated ones (doctors, scientists, managers). But I don't know about the Koran saying something about eating with hands...most of my most devoted Muslim friends use spoons and forks.

I prefer using utensils, because here, toilets are often broken, dirty, or located far away, and tissue paper is often not available.

Since when did i complain about him eating with his hands ???
Please point me to that post.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by Beachguyj

I saw some show once with an Indian wedding and they were rolling rice and something else I guess into a ball and eating it with their hands. It's their custom it's fine with me. We eat burgers and pizza with out hands. Once I knew this woman who grew up in Spain and she said she didn't eat any food with her hands.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Indians having a saying which goes something like "eating rice with a utensil is like having sex with an interpreter". For some reason they feel as if the rice tastes way better eating it with your hand.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by Ram

Engineering can be defined as finding simple solution without any added expense or waste to a problem. Maybe your roommate is on to something. If you are eating with your hands and you make a mess, you are not doing it right.

I made a spaghetti dish once for a friend in Bangalore. She pointedly ate the entire plate with her fingers.

Originally Posted by thatgirl

Some are easier to use than others, I find. If you use them a lot, you eventually get the practice you need to handle a variety of foods with different sizes or textures. I always have some chopsticks among my utensils just so I can practice using them occasionally until it becomes second-nature to me.

We have a thread devoted to chopsticks around here somewhere.

Originally Posted by Telstra

Since when did i complain about him eating with his hands ???
Please point me to that post.

C'mon Telly, you've called it messy and suggested it's backwards and difficult. You don't find it remarkable because it's a sophisticated manner. You find it remarkable for its awkwardness.

Somali Ostrich

The worst thing...is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.--e.o. wilson

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

I think there is no reason to believe calling something "a cultural thing" should insulate it from comparison or criticism.

At the same time, the Queen herself at a state dinner in the Waterloo Room at Windsor Castle will eat asparagus with her fingers and they will be no worse for wear than someone eating rice with his fingers. It looks awkward to me, and I'd prefer utensils, but this really does seem to be a case of local custom and etiquette being more similar from one place to another than meets the eye.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

Originally Posted by thatgirl

Many cultures eat with their hands knowing full well that other cultures mainly use utensils.

^^^^^^ This.

I would like to advise you get some experiences in eating food with your hands. Why not ask him that he will prepare his type of food together for you and him, and that he will teach you how to eat it with hands. Likely, he will be happy to do this and to show you abit more about his culture / background.

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

I think there is no reason to believe calling something "a cultural thing" should insulate it from comparison or criticism.

Some caution is warranted when comparisons or criticisms of cultural things takes on the character of bigotry.

In this thread, I don't find the idea of messiness, awkwardness or difficulty biased. Let 'er rip.

But the notion of backwardness ("it's the year 2013") is questionable.

Somali Ostrich

The worst thing...is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.--e.o. wilson

Re: My Indian muslim housemate

As for rice we need to differentiate "asian" rice -- more gummy and handled easier -- from western rice where pride is taken in getting individual grains that fall apart easily.

There is such a beautiful variety of rice in Asia. This just isn't good enough.

Somali Ostrich

The worst thing...is not energy depletion, economic collapse, conventional war, or the expansion of totalitarian governments. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired in a few generations. The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.--e.o. wilson